Center-bearing.



E. A. 4LAJJGHLIN. CENTER BEARING. A'PPLIOATIQN FILED MAY 20, 1912.

Patented Sept. 29, 1914.

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Emma a.. LAUGHLIN, or CHICAGO, nemers.

CENTER-BEARING.

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speei'catiun of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 29, 1914;.

Appliction led Hay 20, 1912. Serial No. 698,593.

ToZZ @from time?) concern: I

it' known that I- ELM'r-n A: LAUGHLIN,

a citizen of the United States' of America,

and af resident of ilhi'cago,- county of Cook, State of lllin'ois', have invented certain new and usefull Improvements in Center-Bearings, 'of which the following is a specifica'- tion.

The nmin objects of this invention are to provide an impro-ved form of center bearing for cars; in which the roller bearings will be normally urged into operative contact with the bearing surfaces; to provide an irnproved construction of the wear plates in a bearing of this kind whereby the thrust on the roller bearings will tend to normally urge said' roller .bearings inwardly ,towar the axis of said bearing; to provide improved means for insuring the proper relative radial disposition of said roller bearings; and to provide improved means for permitting the escape of dirt from the wear surfaces of the bearing.

An illustrative embodiment of this invention is shown in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a bearing constructed according to this invention, .the upper housing member being removed and the lower member being in section on the line A-Ar of Fig. 3. Fig. 2 is a bottom plan View of the upper housing member.` Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional elevation of the complete assembled bearing. Fig. e is an enlarged fragmentary detail of the lower wear plate. Fig. 5 is a fragmentary 'view of the lower housing member showing the arrangeu ment of the notches in the annular flanges which permit the insertion or withdrawal of the rollers. Y

ln the construction shown in the drawing the upper and lower housing members 6 and 7 are arranged to havev relative rotation, being spaced and supported apart by the conical anti-friction rollers 8. The lower housing member 7 has integrally formed thereon the upwardly Y disposed annular flanges A9 and 1() conccntrically arranged with respect to the axis of the bearing, which form a runway for rollers.l ein annular wear plate 11 is supported on the lower housin member 7 between the flanges 9 and 10, an( an annular wear plate 12 is secured to the upper housing member between the annular 'shoulders 13 and 14.

The lower Wear plate 11 which is preferwardly, L ward the center of the bearing. The conical and 16 of the wear plates-1la and ably in the form of a ring, has the bearing surface 15 thereof inclined downwardly, frointhe horizontal, toward the center of the bearing. The wear plate 12 which i's herein shown to be a conical rin'g,ha`sv its bearing surface 16- also inclined downwith respect to the hdrizotahtof rollers 8 are of the usual, construction, and

vare provided with cylindrical studs 17 I at the opposite ends thereof, which are received in the annular slots or grooves'lQ and 20 formed inthe respective shoulders 9 and 10. These studs coact with the grooves to prevent accidental dislodgrnent of the rollers... By virtue of the similar downward inclination of both of the bearino surf ces 15 l2, the tendency of the bearing surface 16 to urge the rollers 8 radially outward from the center of the bearing is odset by the tendency of the bearing surface 15 to urge the rollers radially inward. lf any of the rollers 8 are not in contact with the bearing surface 16 of the wear plate 12 the jar or vibration of the bearing will tend to "cause them 'to shift inwardly toward the center of the bearing, by reason of the inclination of the bearing surface 15. Therefore, in the present construction the :rollers 8 are always to endshift toward the center of the bearing so as to enter into and remain in contact with both of the bearing surfaces of the wear plates 11 and 12, whereas in prior constructions the relative inclination of the bearing surfaces of the wear plates tends to cause the rollers to shift outwardly from the center of the bearing and therefore frequently gives rise to conditions which cause all of the weight and wear to be borne by a small number of the rollers. The upper surface of the wear plate is radially fluted or scalloped to provide an annular series of alternating ridges 21 and depressions 21a, which cause the yrollers to return. to certain definite positions. i

A plurality of apertures 9,2 extend through the flange 9 adjacent tothe bearing surface 15 of the wear plate 11. These apertures permit an escape of dirt or grindings from. the roller runways which mi ht otherwise accumulate and interfere wit the proper Working of the bearing. The flanges 9 and 10 are provided with one or more sets of notches 23 (Fig. 5) which communicate with the slots 19 and 20 for receiving 'the studs 17 when the rollers 8 are to be placed in or removed from the runway formed between the flanges 9 and l0.

rlhe housing members 6 and 7 are provided with the respectivean e524 and which have the apertures 26 y which the members are respectively secured to the car bolster and truck bolster. The usual king pin connection (not shown) secures the housing members 6 and I in their assembled positions.

Although but one specific embodimentl of this invention has been herein shown and described, it will be understood that numerous details of the construction shown may be altered or omitted without departing from the spirit of this invention as defined by the :following claims, the term conical being intended to mean a surface of the general character of a cone and having converging straight line elements.

I claim A center bearing, comprising upper and lower housing members, upwardly disposed annular flanges concentrically arranged on said lower housing member, annular grooves in said anges, said lower housing member being provided with a wear plate having a luted upper bearing surface, said surface heilig radially straight from and downwardly convergent toward the center there- ELMYR A. LAUGHLIN.

Witnesses CHARLES F. HUNTooN, O. M. HALL. 

